Embracing The Welcome
Good morning Immanuel. Our King invites the poor, the weak, and the weary.
“He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth” (Esther 4:2).
Esther 4:2 describes a scene when Mordecai, the cousin of Esther, has heard the devastating news that a scheme is in place to wipe out the Israelite people. He goes into mourning and seeks an audience at the palace for help, but he is not allowed into the presence of royalty dressed in sackcloth (think burlap feed sack). He is a man in dire straits and desperate need, but to see the king, he must attain a certain status.
This is strikingly antithetical to our King, who sits at the Father's right hand and rules over all. What is unwelcome in his presence is not mourning or poverty but rather pride and self-sufficiency. Our King invites the poor, the weak, the weary, the downtrodden, and the humiliated to come into his presence and be lifted up. We do not need to achieve status or pull ourselves together to gain an audience with King Jesus. He has already sought us out in our poverty and weakness and given himself to us.
🙏🏼